Bittersweet Realization
by Lyoko Shinobi
Summary: What told Odd that today was going to suck? Was it a feeling? Or was he just being gloomy?


**This is something I came up with randomly while working on my other fic. It's sort of the origin of my namesake.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.**

**Important: Bold= Odd's concious talking**

_Italics= Odd's thoughts_

**Bittersweet Realization**

Odd woke at the sound of Ulrich's alarm clock. Odd looked over at the clock. It read 7:30. Odd groaned and put his pillow over his head.

"Come on Odd," Ulrich said turning off the alarm clock. "It's time to get ready for school."

Odd groaned. "I don't think I'm going."

"You're going to skip?" Ulrich asked.

"Yeah," Odd said half asleep.

Ulrich shrugged and went out to take a shower. When he got back it was 8 o' clock.

"Thirty minutes until breakfast ends," Ulrich thought as he left the room.

Odd looked up when Ulrich left the room.

He checked the calendar; it was only Saturday.

"Ulrich you jerk," Odd said aloud.

Odd headed out to go shower.

When he finished he dressed and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. When he got there breakfast was over to his great disappointment.

Odd sighed and sat down at a nearby bench.

"I wonder where the others are." Odd wondered. "Oh yeah they're out on dates."

"Too bad Xana isn't around anymore. It's way too boring around here without him," Odd said out loud.

It had been two months since they had defeated Xana. Since then Ulrich and Jeremy had worked up the courage to ask out their respective crushes.

Even though Jeremy told them Xana was no more, Odd doubted it. He wasn't convinced, but it was partially because he didn't want to let go of Lyoko, the one thing that give his life meaning.

Odd looked around. There was no one to be seen.

Memories of Lyoko flitted through Odd's mind.

Odd headed back to his room. On the way he bumped into William.

"Hey, Odd," William said. "Do you know where Ulrich is?"

"He's out on a date with Yumi. I don't know where," Odd replied.

"Oh, can you tell him that I'm looking for him," William said.

"Yeah sure," Odd said walking away.

On the way to his room a battle waged inside Odd's mind.

**Xana's still out there. Are you just going to let him regain his strength?**

_How do you know he's still alive?_

**Come on Odd, as strong as Xana was do you really think he would go down that easily?**

_Yeah you're right._

**Go seek him out and prove he's still alive.**

"Ok, I'm a little concerned that I just had a conversation with myself but that will have to wait," Odd said.

Odd ran all the way to the boiler room taking the shortcut into the sewers. He followed the familiar path to the ladder and climbed out of the sewers. He swung down and descended to the computer room.

Using Jeremy's notes he launched a Deep Scan for Xana.

Odd sat around for about twenty minutes before the scan located Xana in sector five.

Odd activated a tower feeding energy to Xana and then virtualized himself to sector five.

Odd headed towards the activated tower. As he approached the tower he saw Xana at the base of the tower.

Xana noticed Odd approaching.

"I knew you were still alive but nobody believed me," Odd said coming to a stop in front of Xana.

"So you were the one who activated the tower," Xana said.

"That's right," Odd said.

"I'm curious as to why you would betray your friends like that," Xana said.

Odd shrugged. "It's way too boring without you."

"I'm touched," Xana said mockingly. "You will make an excellent general."

A specter flew out of Xana and into Odd.

**The fool, he shouldn't give his power away freely. Show him why.**

"You fool," Odd said. "You're in no condition to give away power freely. Now I'm stronger than you."

Odd shot a stream of lightning out of his hand at Xana.

Xana yelled in pain. "Curse you Odd Della-Robbia."

Xana dissipated into a small black flame that sank to the ground.

The specter left Odd and dissipated.

Odd picked up the small flame just to drop it. It tried to burn him.

**Take it. Show the others you were right all along.**

Odd picked it up again but didn't drop it this time. The flame engulfed Odd altering his appearance.

Odd claws grew longer. Fangs protruded from his mouth. His outfit changed from a bright people to black and dark shades of purple.

Odd held out his hand to the tower. The tower changed to a purple color.

**Now wait for their arrival.**

*********

Jeremy was walking home with the others when his laptop went off.

"What is it?" Aelita asked.

"That's impossible," Jeremy said in shock.

"What?" Yumi asked.

"A tower has been activated," Jeremy said.

"What but I thought we destroyed Xana," Ulrich said in shock.

"I guess not," Jeremy said grimly. "We need to go to the factory.

*****

**They're coming. Prepare to welcome our guests.**

_Ok but one question first._

**What is it?**

_Who the heck are you?_

**I'm what you would call your conscious.**

_Oh._

Odd smiles as he watches for the Lyoko warriors.

*****

"We're almost there," Ulrich said as they ran towards the tower.

"Isn't it weird that there have been no monsters at all?" Yumi asked.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, there haven't been any monsters at all," Ulrich said.

"Look there's the tower," Aelita said pointing.

"Why is it purple?" Ulrich asked.

"I don't know," Aelita said.

"Don't worry about it just deactivate the tower," Jeremy said.

"Right," Aelita said.

Aelita was about to run for the tower when Odd appeared.

"Hello Aelita," Odd said.

Ulrich and Yumi ran to Aelita's side.

"Odd, is that you?" Ulrich asked.

"Yes," Odd replied.

"What happened to you?" Yumi asked.

"I was right, Xana was alive, and I took his power," Odd said.

"Odd, you're a monster," Ulrich said.

"No, I'm longer the Odd you know. I am Odd the Shadow Lord," Odd retorted.

Odd made a slashing motion with his right hand creating a shockwave of energy devirtualizing the others instantly.

Odd smirked at how pathetic his former teammates were.

*****

The remaining Lyoko warriors gathered by the supercomputer.

"What do we do about Odd?" Yumi asked.

"It appears that Odd was right about Xana, but he destroyed Xana and took his power," Jeremy said.

"So what are we going to do?" Aelita asked.

"There's only one option," Ulrich said sadly. "We have to destroy Odd."

"But he's our friend," Aelita said.

"I know but what other choice do we have," Ulrich said.

"We have to wait until tomorrow before I can send you back," Jeremy said.

The others nodded as they all turned to leave.

As they walked back across the bridge Yumi spoke.

"You do know what tomorrow is don't you," Yumi said addressing Ulrich.

"Yeah," Ulrich said sadly.

"What's tomorrow," Aelita asked curiously.

"Odd's birthday," Ulrich said.

*****

The next morning all the Lyoko warriors woke up early and gathered in Jeremy's room.

"Ok guys, are you ready," Jeremy asked

"Yeah," Ulrich said.

The friends walked out of the room and headed to the factory.

They ran into William on the way.

"Hey Ulrich, I've been looking for you," William said.

"Sorry William, no time to talk," Ulrich said.

"Where are you guys going?" William asked.

"Lyoko," Yumi said.

"Why?" William asked.

"Why don't you come with us?" Jeremy asked. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"Uh sure," William said following them.

"We'll explain on the way," Ulrich said.

*****

Aelita and Yumi turned to wait for Ulrich and William to appear. Ulrich and William virtualized and landed in the forest sector.

"Odd is at the way tower to the west," Jeremy said.

"Here are your vehicles," Jeremy said.

The three vehicles appeared.

"Sorry William, I don't have a vehicle for you," Jeremy said.

"That's ok. I'll run," William said.

The friends took off followed closely by William.

Five minutes later the tower came into view. The group came to a stop in front of the tower.

"I knew you would come back," Odd said jumping from the top of the tower. Odd landed gracefully three yards away from his old friends.

"Are you ready for me to beat you again?" Odd asked. "I see you brought William along."

"Odd you have to stop this. This isn't really you," Aelita said.

"Isn't it?" Odd asked. "Or are you just not willing to accept that I am no longer the Odd you once knew?"

"Odd, you let Xana consume. Don't forget what you fought and nearly died for," Ulrich shouted.

Memories flitted through Odd's mind

"Shut up," Odd said.

Odd shot a lightning bolt at Ulrich. Ulrich easily dodged the attack.

Ulrich pulled out his twin katanas.

Odd smirked and held out his hand. A black saber appeared in it.

Odd threw his saber at Yumi. Yumi jumped to the side barely dodging the attack.

Odd held out his hand. The saber flew back to Odd's hand.

Ulrich rushed Odd his katanas at the ready.

Odd's saber started to spark with lightning.

Ulrich stabbed at Odd who easily blocked the attack with his own weapon.

Odd countered with a slash to Ulrich's chest. Ulrich raised his blades to block the attack but Odd's saber cut through them. Ulrich jumped back and tossed the broken blades aside.

William rushed forward and swung his sword in a broad motion. Odd caught the blade and stabbed William with his own devirtualizing him.

"Energy Field," Aelita said shooting a pink orb at Odd.

Odd sidestepped the attack.

"Odd, you have to stop this. You've become the very thing we fought to destroy," Aelita said.

More memories flashed through Odd's mind.

Odd was next to Aelita in an instant.

"Be quiet," Odd said picking Aelita up by her throat.

Odd crushed Aelita's throat devirtualizing her.

Odd turned just as Yumi threw her fans at him.

Odd reached out and grabbed one of her fans.

"Pathetic," Odd said throwing Yumi's fan back at her devirtualizing her.

"Uh Jeremy, some new weapons would be nice," Ulrich said.

"Here you go," Jeremy said.

Two new katanas appeared in Ulrich's backpack.

Ulrich drew them and faced Odd.

"Looks like you are the last one left," Odd said smirking.

"Odd we were friends. Don't do this," Ulrich said.

"Why not?" Odd asked somewhat amused.

"Because I know that the real you is still in there. If you do this then you will be lost forever," Ulrich said.

"Then I guess Odd's gone forever," Odd said.

Odd stabbed Ulrich threw his chest.

"Don't forget," Ulrich said before he devirtualized.

Odd held up his sword in victory.

**It's over no one can stand in your way.**

Odd smiled at the words. He walked over to the edge of the sector. Ulrich's words echoed in his mind. As he gazed at the digital sea more memories filled his mind. Odd clutched his head in agony. Then the pain stopped.

"How could I forget?" Odd asked himself.

**What are you doing?**

"Ending this," Odd said.

Odd let himself fall towards the digital sea.

Then the reality of his situation hit him.

He had made the biggest mistake of his life.

Odd closed his eyes and smiled as he disappeared into the digital sea.

*****

"What just happened?" Ulrich asked.

"Odd let himself fall into the digital sea," Jeremy said in shock.

"Why would he do that?" Yumi asked.

"Because he remembered," Ulrich said smiling.

"So is that it?" Aelita asked. "No more Xana or Odd?"

"I guess so," Jeremy said.

The friends were about to leave when a message appeared on the supercomputer screen.

Hello

"What the heck is that?" Ulrich asked.

"Someone sent us a message," Jeremy said. "It's from Odd!"

I'm sorry for what happened. I was really stupid. Don't bother looking for me. We'll see each other again one day. Until then I'm going to stay here with a long lost friend, someone we thought was dead but is still alive.

The message disappeared from the screen.

"What did he mean by long lost friend?" Aelita asked.

Jeremy thought for a minute and then he smiled.

"Odd was right about Xana. He was still alive but he's gone now. If Xana didn't die then it's safe to say that your father is alive too," Jeremy said smiling.

"My father is alive?" Aelita asked in shock.

"Yes," Jeremy said.

"Odd was right. We'll see him again one day," William said.

**So what did you think? Tell me in a review.**

**Now that school is out I'm going to try to update weekly.**

**So look for ch. 3 of A Journey to Remember**


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